1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming method forming an image while switching a plurality of development portions and also writing information on the development portions to a memory disposed in the corresponding development portion.
2. Related Art
In an image forming apparatus in which a development port holder is mounted with a plurality of development portions and which forms an image while switching the development portions, the respective development portions can include a memory for storing lifetime information of the respective development portions. For example, in the image forming apparatus disclosed in WO03/098356 (for example, FIG. 9A), the plurality of development portions are mounted in a rotary and rotated so that one of the development portions which is positioned at a position opposite a photosensitive member develops an electrostatic latent image. The respective development portions are provided with a memory cell for storing information on the respective development portions and with a wireless communication antenna. When one of the development portions is positioned at the position opposite the photosensitive member, the antenna is disposed so as to communicate with another antenna mounted in another development portion. In addition, while one of the development portions develops the electrostatic latent image, the antenna of the one of the development portions communicates with the antennas of the other development portions which do not develop in order to read and write the information.
The inventors have found that, in an apparatus which forms an image while moving and switching development portions, it is desirable to set time longer until the development portion starts to perform a developing process after the respective development portions are switched in order to improve an image quality. It is considered that the reason for setting the time longer is because some time is necessary to stably show characteristic.
Accordingly, when the respective development portions are switched, it is necessary to immediately switch the development portion which finishes the developing process to the next development portion. However, when the respective development portions are switched so quickly in this way, a known image forming apparatus may not appropriately write information on the respective development portions. That is because the respective development portions stay for a short time, but it is necessary to take some processing time for writing information on the development portion. In contrast, when the respective development portions are not switched until all information is completely written, the development portion may not be switched quickly.